The Trick To Living Without A Ferrari

We all understand the psychology surrounding rich guys and exotic cars. Simply put, we hate them. If not hate, then we - non-rich, non-exotic-car-driving plebes - feel intense jealousy.

We also assume they are talentless bozos, who, if Cartopia were indeed a meritocracy, wouldn't be allowed within 1,000 yards of a fast car. But our emotions are conflicted because we don't want to live in a world without Ferraris and Aston Martins, and somebody has to buy them. We only resent that "they" are not "we."

Rarely has the envy, jealously and schadenfreude taken so ugly a turn as it has with the contest on wreckedexotics.com betting on the date of the first crash involving the new Ferrari 458.

The 458 Italia, a heart-rending beauty of a sports car and the successor to the F430, will debut at the Frankfurt, Germany, auto show this month and go on sale in summer 2010.

Wreckedexotics.com is offering $500 to the person who comes closest to guessing the date that the first 458 will get augered into an innocent tree or parking meter.

According to wreckedexotics.com, a deeply demented site that specializes in photos of pranged megabuck cars, the F430 has been involved in 96 documented crashes since 2004. The 360 Modena has been involved in 403 since 1999, which says the F430 drivers aren't trying hard enough.

By the way, put me down for April 18, 2010. April is the cruelest month, after all.